Most people, even college students have little to no knowledge of PTSD.

Your looking for questions like:

What is PTSD?
How do you get PTSD?
Who gets PTSD?
Does everyone with trauma get PTSD?
What are the symptoms of PTSD?
How does this affect someone's life?
Is PTSD a disorder or a disability?
Etc..

You would have to answer all the basic questions.

bec

For me, small classes bring on more anxiety then large classes. I feel more volunerable and put on the spot in smaller classes. When it comes to male professors, I tend to avoid talking with them in person, mostly if I have a question or concern I do it through email. Also, I tend to go more for dissociating then having a panic attack. I try to stay focus on what the instructor is saying to stay present.

I think that there is commonality of us attending college/unversity. That we all have different triggers, depending on what our trauma was.

Below is some of the feedback I have recieved in response to my question, "What is it like being a college student with PTSD?"

I didn't even know I had PTSD until I was in my 30s so looking back on my College years (19-23 years old) I see the crap. I had a hard time getting along with people, never felt I was good enough or smart enough. I drank and drugged my way through College to numb my pain. I had friends, I had boyfriends, I was a little permiscuous and impusive. I had fun though but it usually involved doing something very dangerous or defying a professor just to get their attention. I made it through though. I went to 1 year of law school, lost my shit and quit though.

And those that do know something about PTSD are scared of it. Can't say I blame them, but I ask that they don't judge me for a fault I have no way out of.

Just out of interest and curiosity... what are you studying Anna5? Are you doing a research study, or piece of writing?

Oh sorry - I just looked, and you said in your first post you were doing a writing for English Lit! Can't delete this pointless post, so having to leave it as it is!

Hi Anna,

I'm also a university student...and have found it very challenging and...actually extremely frustrating...I don't have an official diagnosis but after this really started messing with my head and iterferring with schoool work I saw a counsellor (initially at school and later off campus). Essentially, I've had to cut my course load...and even with only 3 classes/term I still have to ask profs for extensions etc. Luckily, most have been very nice/understanding about it...I still feel so embarrassed having to talk to them about it and I often feel stupid. Essentially, lack of sleep, inability to focus and dissociation are the main factors interferring...I've also had classes with content that triggered me...It's also extremely frustartign to sometiems have to sacrifice quality justto actually get something (papers etc) done...I've also had times when I wrote my ideas down and even wrote parts of the essay in the rough draft and then forgot to include that crucial bit in the final draft that I was too anxious to even proof read one last time before handing it in...It's awful when you know you're capable of better but at that time can't do it...By the way, I'm also an EnglLit major :) though you wouldn't be able to tell from the way this post is written!

Let me clear something up. I am not an English Lit major. My major is psychology. My main interest is in trauma. The paper I am doing is for an simple English class, and is a investigation paper. I have found it theraputic that I am not the only one facing challeges of attending a college/university with PTSD.

I have another question goes in line with the original question "What is it like being a college student with PTSD?"

My question is: "How do you balance relationship/friendship with going to college/university with PTSD?"

I'm a graduate student with complex ptsd.

What is your experiences/challenges you face going to college?
It takes me longer to do things, so I have to allow a lot of time - in case of bad days where I can't function, or just due to the fact that it may take me a day to read 15 pages.


Does the college you are going to make special accommodation for you?

No,but I haven't asked. I'd rather not, as I'd be concerned about stigma and job prospects. At the grad level your profs are also your employers and future colleagues.

What specific aspects of PTSD affect a college student?

I find issues with memory (I write EVERYTHING down now), concentration, mind feeling muddled, and dissociating in class to be the biggest issues. On the upside, my schedule is flexible as a student so I can manage off days often without missing class or teaching responsibilities, and don't have to call in sick, etc.

Re what questions people ask: I have told very few people. Part of the issue is that when you say PTSD people immediately want to know about the trauma, what is it, and, to an extent I feel judge whether it merits the reaction. I don't want to talk about what happened to me, or at least not in this sort of off the cuff way. It's distressing and may put me out for the rest of the day and, I don't disagree that many people have experienced things worse than me. I don't like how I'm reacting, nor necessarily feel that it is warranted, but it is involuntary and is happening anyways.

My one piece of advice if someone tells you they are dealing with PTSD is, for goodness sake, don't then ask them to describe what traumatic incidents happened to them. They'll share when and if they are ready. You don't normally ask someone to tell you about the most traumatic things that have happened in their lives, having this condition isn't an exemption to that.